Millie Cooper: Sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Halfblood from Manchester, England. Three time Undefeated Champion of the annual Wizard’s Chess tournament and published twice in Witch Weekly. Quirks: Sneezes every time she hears the word, “Quidditch.” Goals: Convince two other Hogwarts students to join Wizard’s Chess Club.

Interested yet? I certainly was. This was my character description for a freeform party based around a Hogwarts Holiday Cup–the House with the most points earning Hogsmeade privileges.

As most any Harry Potter fan might tell you, getting caught up in a magical adventure is one of the most alluring things about the seven-tome Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. One incredibly fun way to share the adventure is to get a group of friends together and have a freeform party.

One thing I never get tired of reading (rereading!) is Harry Potter. But… like me, I’m sure most college kids feel for my current struggle–getting ready for midterms–and not having free time to (re)read things for fun. I’ve got a few tests to study for, a handful of papers, and a TON of reading for class. One fantastic way to get out of the homework rut is to take a creative break. If you live in the dorms, grab your roommate and plan a freeform floor bonding study break. If you live in an apartment like I do, grab your roomies and invite some classmates over for a night of creative freeform fun!

Now you may ask–what exactly is freeform?

Freeform roleplay is sort of like an unscripted play. Each person is given a character with quirks, a bit of background, and a list of goals that either complement or conflict with other characters’ goals. While my experience is with Harry Potter, you can really tailor this to any popular fiction you enjoy–any fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent, or The Walking Dead? The rules are similar no matter which story you’re going for.

Stay in character — know who you are.

Remember your goals — this is what drives the story and experience.

Keep these to yourself — think about your OWN quirks and how you wouldn’t share the facts (go around spouting that you’d dominated everyone in the Wizard’s Chess tourny, or got three 95% tests in a Chem class in a row), but how you would feel entitled from that, and use that to keep your character realistic.

Experiment! Talk to other characters and be creative.

Feeling bogged down by homework? Want to try your hand at writing your own fictional adventure? Take either some established main or supporting characters–like Harry, Ron, Hermione/Rick, Glenn, Maggie–or create your own characters, with some general quirks within the fictional world you choose. Take my own character as an example, if you need a head start! Make some rules, introduce a game (like the House cup–just make some fun ways to earn points!), and encourage character development.

Freeform is a great way to shake things up from a typical night of watching movies with your floor- or apartment-mates, and instead get to know the world or the characters you really love. For some extra nerdy fun, add some props or costumes to the mix. Have friends bring their own, or create some and hand them out to help everyone get in character! And don’t forget–it’s all about a good time, so just have fun with it!